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A blog that tackles issues on basic education (in the Philippines and the United States) including early childhood education, the teaching profession, math and science education, medium of instruction, poverty, and the role of research and higher education.

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Bullying in School, Might Makes Right

The first known use of might makes right in the English language was in 1846 by the American pacifist and abolitionist Adin Ballou (1803–1890), who wrote, "But now, instead of discussion and argument, brute force rises up to the rescue of discomfited error, and crushes truth and right into the dust. 'Might makes right,' and hoary folly totters on in her mad career escorted by armies and navies." (Christian Non-Resistance: In All Its Important Bearings, Illustrated and Defended, 1846.)

The phrase in reverse is echoed in Abraham Lincoln's words in his February 26, 1860, Cooper Union Address ("Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it") in his attempt to defend a policy of neutral engagement with those who practised slavery, perhaps to appear more nationally oriented and religiously convicted in hopes of winning the presidential election later that year (which he did).

In New Jersey, a bill called "Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights" was passed almost a year ago and signed into law this past January. This law now requires training of school staff on how to prevent bullying among students. Each school is likewise required to identify certain employees as dedicated anti-bullying coordinators. And, of course, schools are now obliged to investigate and report all accusations of bullying. Sadly, the New Jersey law, called as the toughest anti-bullying law in the United States, did not prevent the death of the 15-year old high school student.

Some of Benjo Basas' comments in the above video are worth reiterating: Bullying is dependent on who the parents are. I also went through Philippine schools and it was true then that no one would dare to bully a son or daughter of a policeman. Even as little children, we already knew what power was.

Congressman Palatino' recent article on his blog talks about a different issue: Beyond Legislation: Ending Torture in the Philippines. Yet, this may just be the adult version of the same problem. And as the title implies, solutions to the problem are so much beyond just writing and passing new laws.

"Might makes right" is part of the problem and it runs deep in the veins of our society. We do not subscribe to discussions. We do not truly appreciate what consultation means. We want to silence opposition. In transactions and deals, what usually is important is not what you know but who you know. Influence and power seem to be absolutely necessary for anything to get done. Flor Lacanilao continuously points out the lack of published individuals holding positions of influence and authority in the Philippines. Perhaps, submitting to peer review is really the opposite of "might makes right".

Our children are reflections of ourselves. Bullying in school is a reflection of what is happening in society. "But now, instead of discussion and argument, brute force rises up to the rescue of discomfited error, and crushes truth and right into the dust...."

Comments

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People have strong opinions about almost anything and the issue of education is no exception. How these opinions have been formed needs to be examined. This is what good research does. It informs and guides. A myriad of factors influence education and oftentimes, these factors are not independent from each other. Factors interact, sometimes these add, and other times, these subtract. General notions therefore need to be carefully drawn. Writing articles on education can also be quite challenging. When problems in basic education involve an inability to think critically, it is difficult to reach the audience and convey the correct message. Oftentimes, sarcasm is lost so such style of writing needs to be avoided. For people who are convinced of their wisdom and understanding of how education works, profound messages from basic research can be often easily lost.

There is information to be gained from data. Tests in schools can be informative. Scores of students provide a quick glimpse of the current state of education. Thus, it is useful to have these numbers. These numbers may not tell everything in detail with high accuracy. Nevertheless, test results allow for a useful perspective. The National Achievement Test administered by the Department of Education (DepEd) in the Philippines, a set of standardized tests addressing the major subjects taught in school, is an example. These tests are given to Grade 3 where students are assessed in both English and Filipino (These two subjects comprise two thirds of the exam) and Math and Science (These two account for the remaining one third). A different set of tests is given to Grade 6 pupils where each of the following 5 subjects is assigned 40 items: (Science, Math, English, Filipino and Social Studies). Another set is administered to fourth year high school students (This is currently the last year…

"Bear in mind that the wonderful things you learn in your schools are the work of many generations, produced by enthusiastic effort and infinite labor in every country of the world. All this is put into your hands as your inheritance in order that you may receive it, honor it, add to it, and one day faithfully hand it to your children. Thus do we mortals achieve immortality in the permanent things which we create in common." - Albert Einstein

Angel C. de Dios, Ph.D., is currently an associate professor of chemistry at Georgetown University. At Georgetown, he has been teaching General Chemistry since 1995 in addition to graduate courses in molecular spectroscopy and quantum chemistry. His research interests include nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, protein structure determination, anti-malarial drugs, and math and science education. He was a recipient of a CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation and the Georgetown College Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. A member of PAASE (Philippine American Academy of Science and Engineering), he helped the residents of Paete, Laguna incorporate computers and the Internet into their public schools.